Self-Turning Process and Aerodynamic Characteristics of Slender Bodies with Different Center-of-Gravity Positions

To achieve an automatic technology for over-the-shoulder (OTS) launching of air-to-air missiles, this study numerically simulated the overturning process of a slender body by using the dynamic mesh method in the ANSYS Fluent 2021 software. Motion trends and force conditions during the self-turning process were obtained for different center of gravity positions. This investigation showed that a proper center of gravity position was essential for achieving the self-turning of a slender body at high and extra-wide angles of attack. The pressure center of the slender body jumped (discontinuously changed) during the overturning process. The change in the relative position between the pressure center and the center of gravity caused the angular velocity of the slender body to first increase, then decrease and gradually stabilize. These results can be used as a reference for designing the structures of self-turning slender bodies and to realize a new technology for the OTS launching of air-to-air missiles.